Redirecting.work

What Drove Her Pivot?

After years of leading people analytics teams, Melissa began to feel confined, repeatedly performing similar studies and analyses. “How many flight risk models can you do before it feels like you’re stuck in a loop?” she wondered.

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Melissa’s desire for something new was rooted in her vision to bridge employee and customer data. She believed that the insights gained from integrating these datasets could unlock new ways to understand and improve organizational dynamics. However, resistance within HR prevented her from advancing this idea in her people analytics role. To truly explore the intersection of employee and customer data, she realized she needed to shift her focus entirely.

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That realization propelled her to take on the role of Head of Customer Research, where she could apply her analytical expertise to understanding customers.

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A New Direction​

Transitioning into customer analytics was both invigorating and transformative for Melissa. While the foundational skills were transferable, she embraced the opportunity to learn new frameworks, such as Net Promoter Score (NPS) and employee experience drivers of revenue models, which allowed her to approach analytics from a fresh perspective.

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Melissa’s new role involved working directly with business leaders, an opportunity that was less available in HR. “In customer research, I could talk to business presidents and product owners directly, without an intermediary. The questions they asked were sharper, more relevant, and provided immediate clarity about their needs,” she reflects.

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The move also opened the door to study new and exciting areas. For example, she analyzed customer emotions, tagging sentiment in comments to predict churn. Insights like understanding that frustration leads to customer attrition, while anger does not, provided actionable data to enhance customer retention strategies.

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The scale of customer analytics also provided a stark contrast to her previous role. With a $6 million budget—far exceeding her $350,000 people analytics budget—Melissa was able to leverage larger datasets and more sophisticated tools. This expanded scope made her work both challenging and rewarding, reaffirming her belief in the critical role customer analytics plays in driving business outcomes.

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Why This Move Matters for People Analytics Professionals​

Melissa sees customer analytics as a natural and exciting evolution for those in people analytics. “The skills are highly transferable. If you can analyze employee sentiment and behaviors, you can analyze customer data,” she says. What’s more, customer analytics often offers opportunities for greater business impact, with less resistance to adopting new ideas.

For Melissa, the pivot is more than a personal career shift—it is an invitation to others in her field. She believes that the stagnation she observed in people analytics—performing repetitive studies without significant innovation—can be alleviated by exploring customer-focused roles. By connecting employee and customer data, analytics professionals can contribute to solving business problems in transformative ways.

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Melissa’s Advice for Career Pivots​

Melissa’s journey offers invaluable lessons for those considering a career change:

1. Push Beyond Comfort Zones: “Do something new and uncomfortable,” she advises. Melissa believes that embracing discomfort leads to growth and excitement.

2. Transferable Skills Are Key: People analytics professionals bring a unique perspective to customer research, understanding how employee dynamics influence customer experiences.

3. Learn the Language of Your New Domain: Melissa took online courses to master customer analytics frameworks and gain credibility.

4. Find Stability Elsewhere: During her transition, Melissa found stability in her personal life, particularly with her children. This balance gave her the confidence to tackle the challenges of a career pivot.

5. Always Advocate for Yourself: “You have to ask for what you want,” she says, sharing she needed to learn to negotiate and advocate for her worth.

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The Excitement of What’s Next

Today, Melissa thrives in her role at Medallia, combining her passion for employee and customer experience. She continues to champion the integration of these data sets, advocating for the mutual benefits of connecting employee engagement and customer satisfaction.

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Melissa’s journey exemplifies the potential for analytics professionals to expand their impact and reignite their passion by exploring new domains. For those in people analytics seeking a fresh challenge, her story is a compelling roadmap for transformation.